Waters of Time
by Nature9000
Summary: As a crucial anniversary nears, Trina finds herself dreaming about what she would do if given the opportunity to prevent a pivotal moment in her past. When an accident occurs at the beach, Trina is given the chance to change the past and the choice to keep things the way they are or to remain in her new life. Is it all she dreamed, or will it cost her too much to give up?
1. If You Could Change the Past

Waters of Time

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N: This oneshot is a personal one, not in a bad way but it's along the lines of something I've thought about for many years. Something I wish I could do, though there's no humanely way, haha. Anyway in this, the parents are an uncle and aunt for an obvious reason that you will find. June 29th is coming up, so this is my annual oneshot Well, enjoy it!

Extra note: I had to divide this up into short sections because of length. There's about 6 sections, so you can stop and pick up later without having to come back to a long oneshot and find your place.

* * *

-IF YOU COULD GO BACK AND CHANGE EVERYTHING. WOULD YOU?-

_"Sometimes I wish I had your mother."_ Trina laughed at Christine's statement and slid her hands away from the computer keyboard. They were discussing their childhood experiences with their moms, and she just finished detailing how much trouble she got to as a child when she accidentally broke a car window and her mother only found out by way of a police officer.

Her brown eyes drifted to the glossy photograph beside her laptop and mixed with the chocolate eyes of her mother. As her laughter faded, a feeling of longing came over her heart. "But you're lucky still," she typed, "You still have yours. Try as I might, I just can't be happy with Uncle David or Aunt Holly." She closed her eyes and drifted back to an older time that weighed heavily on her heart. "They don't understand. Not them, not Tori, not any of her friends."

The sound of a beep forced her eyes open and drew her attention back to the screen. _"What happened this time?"_

"Tori and her friends told me to get over what happened. Well, her friends did, but she never says anything. So, it's all the same. Tried talking to Uncle David about it, he didn't have time. Tried talking to Aunt Holly, she's more concerned about Tori's next performance."

_"Why do you still live there? Why do you still endure that shit?"_

Her fingers curled above the keys and It wasn't as though she had the money to move out. "I don't really want to be alone." She heard a knock on the door, followed by Tori's calling out to ask her if she was going to her performance on Sunday. Trina ignored the girl and sighed once she left. "Sometimes I wish I could change it though-wish I could go back. Stop mom, stop Joshua, but what does it matter?"

Tears welled up in her eyes and she removed her hands from the keyboard once more. Once she glanced to the calendar on the wall before her, she realized how close to the 29th it was. She'd nearly forgotten, but it was only when she got into those melancholy moods that she remembered the date.

In her mind she visualized the final scene. Her mother was in the car, with the horn blasting until Trina finally went outside to hug her before she went off to work. _"Goodnight, baby."_ Sherry's words played like a record, repeating through the night. _"I'll see you in the morning."_

What a morning it was that she awoke to. The dogs were howling from Joshua's bedroom, the house was in disarray, and her bedroom door was open despite her closing it the night before.

_Honey I Shrunk the Kids_ was on television that morning, she watched it only after watching an episode of _Digimon_. Afterwards she sifted through the boxes in the living room, trying to discover what it was Joshua had been searching for in the late hours the night before. When she found nothing of interest, she played a CD. She remembered it well _Back to Country_, on it was a song by George Jones titled _Flowers for Mama_. It was that song she played that afternoon, and the only song that even to this day, drew tears that came from the heart.

Trina picked up the photograph on the desk and traced her mother's soft brown hair. "I bet things would be different if you were still here. Maybe I'd be happier, maybe I wouldn't be ignored or looked at like I'm crazy and insignificant. You never thought I was insignificant. Josh maybe, but even he and I got along sometimes."

"Trina?" She snapped her eyes towards the door and frowned at Tori's voice. "Come on, I know you're in there. This isn't about what Jade said, is it? I know it's getting to be that 'time of year' again, but she has a point. You can't just dwell about it each year." She scoffed under her breath and kept her silence. "Trina? Trina, talk to me. Come on, stop ignoring me."

After several seconds, Tori let out a frustrated groan and tried to open the door. Trina smirked at the failed attempt. Not only could she never stand to keep that door open, the lock made her more secure. "Trina! Hear me out. We're going to the beach tomorrow, I want you to be there with us."

"I don't think your friends would like that too much."

"I don't care. They can deal. You're my cousin, I want you there."

"Maybe." She'd always been a loner, even when it seemed like she wanted attention, she didn't truly care for it. Tori's friends made it clear she wasn't to be around, and the same went for her aunt and uncle. "I'll think about it, but I'm not promising anything."

Throughout the years she couldn't help but to think on all the things that happened which her mother would never have allowed. Even now, Joshua might even have an apartment and let her stay with him. He had been five years older, after all.

The following morning she met with Tori at the beach. Eventually the friends pulled the girl away, leaving Trina to spend time alone. Even though Tori looked apologetic as her friends dragged her away, Trina didn't care.

She moved quietly along the shoreline, smiling to herself as the crisp and cool waters rushed along her bare feet. When she passed by a large rock formation, she climbed to the top and stood on the edge, looking out across the crystal clear waters.

The wind was heavy that morning, blowing her hair and her clothes violently. She loved the wind as it brought about a cool mist which combated the heat from the sun.

"I don't need a prince to sweep me off my feet." Trina turned her eyes towards the group of friends and chuckled at Beck and Jade. The couple were cuddled together, with Beck trying to keep the wind from messing up his hair. "And as nice as it would be to have friends, and all the attention in the world, it isn't what I want."

She took a step to the right, but a gust of wind caused her to lose her balance. She caught herself on the rock, screaming out and looking down to the beach.

After getting down, she removed the clothes she had over her bikini and moved into the ocean. Tori called out to her from the distance, telling her to be careful because of the wind and the waves, but she paid no mind to the girl and swam out into the sea.

The farther out she got, the more the waves bashed against her. When the lifeguard blew his whistle, Trina decided to swim back to the shore. She kicked her legs through the sea, but the wind had grown increasingly violent.

The cool and calming waves were now harsh and dangerous, and somehow the clouds in the sky had darkened. _"How long have I been swimming? I just hopped in…" _A heavy wave crashed into her, pulling her farther from the shore.

Her muscles began to burn as she forced herself to swim harder. She could see Tori in the distance, standing at the shore and calling out to her. As she continued to fight the waves, she watched Tori's friends rushing to the shore.

Another gust of wind struck her, and water struck her in the eyes. Her legs drifted through the ocean while she stopped in place to rub the water from her eyes. Suddenly her legs stopped as though chains had grabbed her heels. In front of her, she thought she saw her mom and brother standing on the violent waves. "Momma? Joshua? No…"

The vision dispersed and Tori's male friends were diving into the water. Beck, Andre, and Robbie were calling out to her and telling her to stay calm.

Once more the water splashed her face and her body fell back on reflex. When she opened her eyes, they burned with pain. She opened her mouth to scream, but found herself unable.

All around her was the blue sea, and no sign of which way the surface was. "Help!" Bubbles drifted from her lips and she saw in her mind's eye the visual of herself sinking to the bottom of the ocean like stone.

She pushed her arms through the water frantically and tried to scream again. The more she panicked, the more she sank, and the more water rushed into her lungs. Her vision began to fade and her body's movement slowed. _"Momma, Joshua, I…miss you. If I could see you again. If only I could have done something to prevent…"_ Seeing the futility of where she was, unable to think clearly, she let her body stop fighting.

As arms wrapped around her, and her body was jerked in an unknown direction, she let go of her consciousness and resigned herself to an uncertain fate.

* * *

Okay this story or this time frame is fucking cursed. I swear to god after I finished writing this, and so close to June 29th, it starts raining while I pull out of my apartment parking lot. I turn left and my truck is small, so I ended up hydroplaning and swerving all over the goddamn road. Thank GOD the only car on the road was behind me at the stoplight...I know I divided this into sections and I was going to go ahead and not put all up right now, but screw it ALL SECTIONS ARE GOING UP NOW, I want to be done with this oneshot and I am NOT going driving until after the 29th! God...enjoy the oneshot and let me know what you think as you go along.


	2. Childhood Tragedy

Waters of Time

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N: This oneshot is a personal one, not in a bad way but it's along the lines of something I've thought about for many years. Something I wish I could do, though there's no humanely way, haha. Anyway in this, the parents are an uncle and aunt for an obvious reason that you will find. June 29th is coming up, so this is my annual oneshot Well, enjoy it!

* * *

-PART DEUX-

When she awoke, she was no longer on the beach but in a dark and familiar room. Her body tensed as she spied the twelve year old version of herself asleep in her _Scooby-Doo_ covers. Her face was lit up by the sunlight spilling through the venetian blinds. "What is this?" Her heartbeat's racing had grown loudest to which it was the only sound in the room.

"June 29th. That's you, asleep. Obviously." She twisted around and narrowed her eyes at a short woman with red hair. Her heart stopped and her eyes widened as she studied the gentle, freckled face looking back at her. She'd only seen one photo of the woman, but recognized her in an instant.

"Krissy? What the hell are you doing here? Fuck that, what am I doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?"

"Yeah." Trina rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "It's obvious, just like it's totally obvious how cats can suddenly start barking-no it is not obvious." She looked back to her sleeping form and walked towards her with a trembling heart. "A-Am I dreaming? Am I dead?"

"No, I wouldn't say that."

"Which wouldn't you say?" The woman had always been blunt before, so Trina couldn't figure out why she was beating around the bush now.

"Either." She watched her younger form roll over, then let her eyes drift to the clock on the bed. "That's right, it's seven o'clock. In one hour your mom and older brother-you know. The car crash."

Her heart stopped and the world began to crumble around her while the icy fingers of terror tore into her chest. "Why am I here? How am I here? If it's not a dream and I'm not dead, then what the hell is going on? How am I not dead, I'm pretty sure I just drowned."

"Yeah, um, I'm sorry about the storm." This wasn't Krissy, it couldn't be her. Maybe it was an angel, but if she wasn't dead, she wouldn't be seeing those either. "It was the only way to get you here."

"Care to explain?"

"Very little time to do so. Just understand you're being given a chance to change time. To do as you truly desire and to save your mom and brother." She tried to respond, but the oxygen in the room evaporated and left her breathless in an instant. "I'm supposed to tell you what will happen, but before that, you have a choice to make. Do you want to change your history?"

Trina caressed the face of her younger self and felt weak when she thought of the pain this child would go through. "What kind of question is that Krissy?" If she didn't, then she knew what was coming. Years of perceived misery and sorrow. Years of wishing she'd been in the car with them, or at least that it had been her instead of Joshua. "How could I stop them from leaving? How could I prevent that crash?"

"Well. What was the most important thing in your mother's life?"

"Her children, of course." Sherry had to take Joshua to get some medication for his acne, and also and an appointment that day. Josh left late, so Sherry was late, therefore she was speeding down the road.

It rained the night before, but they'd recently moved into the country, so it shouldn't have mattered. It shouldn't have mattered when the car hit that puddle, and it shouldn't have mattered when the red convertible spun on the road. It shouldn't have mattered when Sherry swerved.

"Just one fucking car on the road." Trina's eyes clenched shut and a sob left her lips while her chest trembled with pain. "Only one fucking car! Where did that minivan come from, Krissy?" She could feel herself dropping to her knees, and with each breath, a sob rattled from her lungs. "They died instantly. That's what the officers said, anyway. That's what Uncle David and Aunt Holly said, what they said to a little girl who lost her mom and brother. I can't know if they suffered, why would you tell a child their relatives suffered?"

"I don't know."

"Oh come on Krissy, you have an answer for everything."

"But I can't tell you how to feel. The decision is yours."

"Of course I want to save them." Her voice lashed out and she glared angrily at her friend. "Think how much better my life could be if Mom and Josh never died."

"But you don't know if it would be better or worse. That's just the thing. That's why you're being given this opportunity, so that you'll have something to compare to…" Krissy guided Trina outside the bedroom and into the living room. She pointed to the phone on the coffee table and looked up. "Call your mother. Say you're the neighbor and that her daughter was laying in the yard this morning. Tell her something that will make her come home, something that will keep her from driving into town."

"What?"

"Your mother met with Joshua at the gas station outside the Kiowa community gate. At this time, your brother's already gone to the gas station and your mother's getting ready to leave work. It will take her thirty minutes to get back, she and your brother will discuss the plans for the day and then take her car to drive back into town. If you call her now-or even if you call your brother-and say something is wrong with her child that's left at home…then the course of time is altered. They live."

A lump formed in her throat as she stood before the landline. Beads of sweat appeared at her forehead while her trembling hand hovered over the phone. "Why is this decision so hard? What's going to happen?"

"I cannot tell you that."

"You can't?" She narrowed her eyes and looked back to the woman with a deep frown. "Or you won't tell me?"

"Have you made your choice yet?"

"Tell me first, am I dead?"

"Are you worried you have nothing to go back to?" She pulled her hand away momentarily and winced as she remembered the feeling of her lung filling with water. "If you really want to know, you're not dead. You're asleep."

"So I'm dreaming?"

"Well. Yes…" Krissy rolled her head to the right and sighed heavily. "And no. Your body is comatose, and the life you knew has been put on pause for the time being while your mind is here and you're able to remember that life you've had."

"Why do I get the feeling you're not telling me something?"

"If you decide to keep things the way they are, then there is no need to tell you anything at all, and you'll wake up in the time that you belong."

"I'm not used to you talking in rhymes, by the way."

"I am your best friend, you call me your 'sister', so it's only right that I appear to you." Krissy's eyes slanted and her lips curled into a smirk. "Deal with it."

Trina rolled her eyes and laughed once. Her eyes turned to the phone and she let out a heavy sigh. "If I pick up this phone. If I make that call…what happens?"

"God you're persistent with your questions."

"You know me."

"Of course." Krissy took a deep breath and walked around her, stopping with her back towards her. "Pick up the phone, you're given a brief period of time in the present day as though your mother and brother never died. You'll still remember your old life during this period…more than that, I will not say."

"So it's kind of like a trial period kind of thing?"

"Are you going to make the call, or not, Trina?"

"I am." She grabbed the phone without a moment's hesitation. When she heard her mother's voice on the other end of the phone, fresh tears flooded her cheeks. "Mo-Mrs. Summers? This is your neighbor, it's about Katrina…" She closed her eyes and covered them with her hand.

* * *

Let's see if it's all she thinks it is


	3. What Will Change?

Waters of Time

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

-PART TRES-

When she opened her eyes, a different feeling presented itself. Her eyes scanned a strange new environment while the beats of her heart ran through her body with rapid pulses. "Where am I now?"

It looked as though she were in her bedroom back home, but the room still was different. While her bed and desk were in the same places, she had two windows on the wall that faced the street, and her bed had a black and red colored theme as opposed to purple.

Krissy walked up behind her, causing her to jump and spin to meet her. "You're in your present day timeline, but the one that exists with Sherry and Joshua's survival." Krissy put her fingers together and looked to the computer. "I should probably let you know, there are a few things that are different."

She wasted no time rushing to the computer and opening her Skype and Yahoo chats. "I-I need to tell my friends." Krissy lifted her hand to her chin and let her shoulders fall. Trina studied the chat and whined when she didn't see her friends. "You're not even on my contact list. Hell, I don't know these people." She did recognize the names in the contact list, but it still felt new to her.

"Well why would you know me?"

"You're my best friend." Trina twisted in the chair and hung her elbow over the back. "You're like my sister, though you're not…" Krissy folded her arms and raised an eyebrow at her.

"Think about how we met Trina. You like to write, you became a writer. Through your first attempt at it, I commented and our friendship started, but think about _why_ you wanted to write."

"What do you mean?" She turned back to the computer and opened up the web browser. Krissy drew out a heavy sigh as Trina attempted to log in to the website she often went to. When it failed, she let out a startled scream. "It doesn't recognize my email?"

"Katrina dot Vega93 at yahoo dot com…does not exist. You don't write in this timeline."

She pulled her fingers away from the keyboard with a frown and furrowed her brow at the screen. "I don't." It was starting to make sense. The whole reason she started writing was as an escape, an outlet. "Tori and her friends never paid me much mind, and when they did it was always an insult. Uncle David and Aunt Holly ignored me too, so I started writing."

"Yep. Now your mom and brother are alive, guess who you don't live with."

"Uncle David."

Krissy swept her arms out and laughed. "I probably shouldn't appear in this form either. If you tried to find me in this timeline, I'd think you were a psycho." A sudden ache hit her stomach. She moved her hand over her abdomen with a groan and looked at the Skype chat.

"Tori's online. Her username's different."

"Her entire _life_ is different."

"Why?"

"Did you forget that you were the one who encouraged her not to give up on Hollywood Arts?" Krissy sat on the edge of the bed and crossed her legs. "Not even that, she only got in because of that showcase that you didn't sing in. She only met Andre because you had a project to work on."

"Then she…doesn't even know who her friends are?" Trina pictured Tori sitting with her friends at the kitchen table, each holding cards in their hands and laughing together. "It's hard to think that she wouldn't know who they are."

Krissy tapped her cheek with her forefinger and closed her eyes. "Should probably not worry too much about that. She doesn't, obviously. Why would she if she doesn't know who they are?" Her stomach twisted and she slowly shook her head.

"I guess." Tori's name on Skype flickered and an instant message came through from the girl. The fact that she was saying anything to her was strange, but she didn't know what to say to her. "I remember a few things from this timeline, but not everything."

"It will come to you. This timeline actually exists in another realm, if you can picture it. You are now the same Trina that exists in this line, her memories are yours, but they need to merge. In a couple of days, you'll completely forget the other life you knew. That life will never have existed."

"Never exis-" She closed her eyes and recalled the many Skype conversations with Tori. She knew everything about the girl, they shared many secrets with one another as though they were best friends.

The fact remained that in this world, Tori was the shy and antisocial one. She focused only on her studies. "While your cousin makes straight A's, she's in the same boat you were once in. Few friends, if any. Ignored by her parents. It's a hard life, but hey, her best friend is her cousin. You've got friends around here, by the way."

"Trina." Her mom's voice caused her to flinch. She looked to the door and smiled as it cracked open and a tall woman with long brown hair and a soft face stepped into the rom. "Are you done with your homework?"

"I think so." She glanced to a textbook on the bed and her heart skipped. _"I'm taking a summer course? Health and nutrition." _Sherry followed her gaze and exhaled softly.

"Dinner's on the table and your brother's come to visit." She continued to stare at her mom, studying what looked to be a dream. She wanted to reach out and touch her, to know that she was truly standing before her.

The racing of her heart increased and tears sparked in her eyes while watching her mother walk away. Her breath caught in her throat and she quickly swept her tears from her face. "It's not real. This can't be real." Trina's hand moved up to her chest and Krissy started to laugh.

"Oh it's real. Go ahead and pinch yourself if you must. Or better yet." The girl walked over and snapped her nails on Trina's arm. Pain shot across her and she jerked to the right, throwing her hand to the stinging spot.

"What the hell! I thought you were just a figment of imagination or something." The corner of Krissy's lip tucked up and her eyelids fell halfway.

"My powers mystify even my husband." After a second, the woman vanished, leaving her alone. Trina turned to the computer and moved her fingers to the keyboard, pausing as her mom called from the kitchen.

"Can't talk now," Trina typed to Tori. "Mom's calling me for dinner." She looked up to the photo on the wall and her heart leapt up. "High school graduation. I look…beautiful." Unlike the graduation picture from Hollywood Arts, in this she was smiling bright and holding a diploma up in the air.

Upon making her way to the kitchen, she halted in the doorway and whimpered at the sight before her. Her brother was seated at the table. He was tall and had his hair combed to the right. Joshua turned to look at her through his thin glasses. "Hey Trina, your food's getting cold."

Without thought, she ran forward and threw her arms around his neck. He flinched as she wept into the back of his shoulder. "I've missed you so much!" She tightened her grip around him and he started to choke.

"I've been home for like a month now. I swear you're hugging me harder than my girlfriend, it's weird." Her eyes widened and she stepped back, gasping in surprise. She wanted to blurt out a question about this girlfriend of his, but thought better of it.

Throughout all his years in school, he was always antisocial and never talked to girls. Just the fact that he had a girlfriend was something that he would once have considered a miracle.

Sherry walked to the large table and set a plate down. Her eyes drifted over to Trina and her brow started to furrow. "Are you alright? You're acting strange."

Joshua laughed and pushed a piece of chicken into his mouth. "You're telling me. When was the last time I got a hug from my little sister?" He flashed a smirk at her. Trina pulled back a chair and sat down at the table.

"You want another?"

"I wouldn't mind." He laughed while Sherry looked to her with concern. Trina grabbed her silverware and looked down to her food. She couldn't remember the last time she sat down as a family at the dinner table.

_"David and Holly never sit at the table to eat, and Tori absolutely refuses to eat dinner at home anymore. This is amazing!"_ Something her mother always valued was family, so no matter what was going on, dinner was meant to be a time when family got together at the table.

"What do you think you are doing?" A voice asked from behind. Trina flinched and shifted her eyes to the corners. Standing beside her, but unseen to Josh and Sherry, was an image of herself. She had a stern look on her face, her hair was in a messy ponytail, and she was wearing a red tank top and black jogging pants. Her head was covered by a dark red ball cap with the Texas Rangers logo. "Who the hell are you, miss fancy? This is my life. Get your own, you don't belong here! I don't know what test this is, but don't ruin my life." The girl looked at her with disgust and crossed her arms. "I hug people, but not frequently or like you just did."

Trina swallowed hard and stabbed her food with her fork. The girl threw her hands up and let out an angry scream before vanishing. Krissy appeared in her place and waved her hand before her sour expression. "Whew, sorry about that." Trina pushed the bite into her mouth and shut her eyes. "I should probably let you know that until everything, you know, merges…you might see or hear from the Trina that exists in this world. But don't worry, it's nothing serious. After all, she's you, or you're her. You're becoming one."

"So." She looked to Joshua and curved her lips up. "What brings you to visit?" Josh raised an eyebrow at her and lowered his fork beside the plate.

"Your tournament this weekend. Obviously." She had a feeling she was still athletic, but she didn't know for sure. "Did you hit your head or something?" Joshua looked over to Sherry and pointed at Trina. "Mom, I think she's got amnesia. We need to take her to a doctor." Sherry bowed her head and snickered at him.

"Josh, for the last time, we are not taking your sister to the doctor so we can ship her off to some asylum. I thought you grew out of that?"

"Hey, what kind of older brother would I be if I didn't mess with my sister once in a while?"

"Well what if we sent her to Uncle David's place in Cali?" Sherry rolled her eyes and shoved a bite of mashed potatoes into her mouth. Trina looked to her mom with a spark of curiosity. "Well that's a legit question, isn't it? You never let us visit the guy."

"You're old enough Joshua. You fly out and visit if you want, I can't guarantee he'll have the time to stop and pay a visit." Sherry stabbed the chicken and shook her head. "David has always been too busy to give anyone the time of day, so I've never bothered to send you over to see him. Not to mention, he's never invited us and is 'too busy' to see us anyway."

"Harsh," Trina muttered. Her appetite faded as she thought onto David. She seemed to remember him getting a divorce from his wife, but that was crazy because she thought she'd talked him out of it. _"No, I talked him out of it in my old timeline, get it straight."_

Sherry poked her fork at Trina. "Will you be going to the movies with Trixie later?" She jerked her head up and hesitated for a second.

"Trixie?"

Joshua's eyebrows shot up and he let out a chuckle. "I'm telling you mom, she hit her head."

"Hush Joshua." Sherry smiled gently and leaned back in the chair. "Your best friend, Trina. Same friend you've had for the last five years, and the same one you've been planning this big movie night with for the last week."

"Did you forget what movie you've been wanting to see also? The one that you've been going hysterical over for the last month now."

Trina rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Yeah of course I remember." She flashed a weak smile as Joshua replied with a hum of disbelief. _"I'd like those memories to start coming back now!"_

* * *

Those be some incredibly slow memories. It's nice to see Sherry and Joshua.


	4. Too Good to be True

Waters of Time

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

-QUARTER-

After dinner she met with her apparent best friend in this timeline. Trixie was the same height as her. She had long dark hair, and wore a violet colored shirt with a knee-length purple skirt. When Trina approached her, the girl gawked at the outfit she was wearing. "Have you gone mad?"

"What?" She looked down to the dress and heels that she had on, it didn't seem to be too much. Trixie put her hand to her forehead and groaned.

"We're not going to a party or something. You never wear that unless you're going somewhere important." Trixie circled her and raised an eyebrow. "I suppose it looks nice on you, it's just different. Unusual. We won't fret about it now, the movie starts any minute!"

"Can't wait."

"Yeah, I thought I was going to be late. My little sister was talking my ear off." From what little memories of this time Trina had, she knew Trixie had a younger sister that lived with their father in California. That was about it, though.

"How is she?"

"Oh she's fine. She broke up with her boyfriend again, but they'll get back together. Still, she's going through her cycle." Trixie rolled her eyes and dismissed the thought with a wave. "Typical cycle."

"Sounds rough."

"Well when you have the issues she's got, sure. Anyway, enough about that, let's get into this movie." Trina followed the girl and frowned as her mind drifted to the person she thought Trixie was talking about. It seemed far too coincidental, but she couldn't help to think of Jade.

"That's right." Krissy's voice caused her to flinch. She shot a glare at the woman, irritated that she continued to pop up and scare her. "Your best friend is Jade West's older sister." Krissy looked up with a thoughtful hum. "You might even get along with her in your own time, you know, but that's beside the point." Trina crinkled her nose and looked towards Trixie with a smile. "I could point out that because you're here and your cousin never met Jade-well not much is different. Except for the fact that she doesn't do well with friendships."

_"Did she ever?"_

"Oh hey, if you decide to go back to your time, look Trixie up. You might be surprised to find her living in the California region. Turns out with nothing tying her down here, she decided to go to college in California to be a little closer to her sister."

Trina's heart thumped in her chest and she looked towards Trixie with surprise. The girl was standing at the concession stand, her right finger was hooked over her lower lip as she studied the menu. "I don't do well with friends."

"You do, actually. You and Trixie first became friends in this time over something common, you both are athletic. You're athletic in the other time, but you also have something else in common. Your little cousin, her little sister, enough said."

"You could actually _try_ talking to people." Trina winced at the sound of her own voice beside her. When she turned to look, she saw once again this time's version of her. Her arms were crossed and she was leaning towards the right. "It might surprise you that you don't need to steal my life when you can make it your own. Also, I would never wear that dress to the movies!"

"Don't interrupt me," Krissy snapped her fingers and the other woman vanished in a cloud of smoke. "Jesus." Trina rolled her eyes and turned away, smiling as she looked towards Trixie.

Memories of the girl began to flow into her mind. They were years-worth of laughter, talks about their families and about their futures. She remembered also a recent time when Trixie was considering a move, but because she didn't want to leave her best friend behind, she didn't go.

"You know she's not much different in your time, but I'm not going to say much more. It is going to be your decision in the end."

"My decision? I still have a choice?"

"Yes, but I'm getting to that. You're still alive in that time, by the way. If you were to go back, you could use some of the things you learned here and maybe improve where you're at. Just saying. It all comes from inside. I suppose this timeline's version of you is right, you could try talking to people."

"I have tried." She sneered for a moment and shook her head. "They push me away."

"Then you're trying with the wrong people, Trina. If someone doesn't want to bother with you, they're not worth your time. Don't let them get you down and try talking to people who you might have more in common with. But enough about that, I don't think that time is important at the moment."

"Well…I'm friends with Trixie already in this timeline."

"Yeah-it's the easy way out." She twitched and started to shoot back a remark of her own, but Krissy was gone when she looked back.

Trixie hurried over to her with a bag of snacks. "Okay Trina. I've got two boxes of Raisinets, two Milk Duds, and of course I got you a cherry icee." Trina smiled and took the drink from the girl as well as a box of Raisinets and Milk Duds. Looking down at the snacks, she recognized this moment many times before. They shared a favorite when it came to candy, although Trixie preferred the coca cola icee while Trina preferred the cherry flavor.

"Thanks Trix."

"No problem." Trixie looked at her dress and laughed. "I'm trying to imagine that dress when you're done drinking that icee, though." Trina raised an eyebrow and pictured her other version's mocking laughter. "I don't think I've ever see you come out of a movie with at least one or two cherry drops on your clothes."

"Yeah, mom usually has a fit trying to wash it out…"

"Oh god, remember that one time we rode our bikes around after it rained?" Trina looked up to the girl and pushed up half a smile as Trixie laughed at a memory that she couldn't easily recall. "We hit a rock and fell in a puddle of mud, grass, and whatever else was in that muck. Our mothers looked ready to drop us on the spot when we got home. Brand new clothes, ruined. Some of the stains never got out of my clothes."

"Yeah." They made their way into the theater and sat in the back row. The lights were lit up and the screen was going through its regular advertising before the previews. "Trixie, do you ever wish you went to California?"

Trixie sipped on her drink for a minute before pulling her lips from the straw. "Sometimes." Trina frowned as the girl shrugged. "My best friend's here, though. I wanted to go and be there for my sister, but Jade didn't want anything to do with me."

Tori's friendship, along with the others was what softened Jade up to begin with. So if Trixie had gone to California in the other timeline, it was because Jade wasn't as hard up as she sounded like she was in this time.

This realization broke Trina's heart because she could see in Trixie's eyes that she did care for her sister. "I guess I shouldn't worry about it," Trixie replied, "If she doesn't want anything to do with me or mom, that's her thing. We've talked about this, so why bring it up again?"

"I don't know. I guess I was feeling a little guilty for keeping you from going there."

"Don't." Trixie pat her shoulder and smiled warmly at her. "I'm happy with the way things are." The girl crossed her legs and looked down to the Milk Duds in her hand. "Besides, you don't get to have do-overs."

"No?"

"I don't think it would be right, or fair. If you think really hard about it, you have to realize that what you go through makes you who you are." Trina furrowed her brow and her lips separated a centimeter. "You learn from the experiences and mistakes, so I'm a firm believer that everything happens for a reason and you shouldn't get a do-over because it would change too much. I think it would also be like cheating, if you look at it like that. Maybe even a little selfish? Think of all the people you meet, all the lives you impact, you have no idea what those people will be like if they never met you. Hell, you could be more important to someone than you realize."

"Do you think that if you and I met in a different timeline that we'd be friends?"

Trixie's lips formed a circle and she let out a laugh. "I think we'd be friends in any time, Trina. But really, if it's meant to happen, then it will." She found it funny that Trixie would say something like that, considering she heard those same words from Krissy once. "But enough of this deep philosophical stuff for one night, it's giving me a headache."

Trina laughed and nodded in agreement. She lifted her own box of milk duds as the previews began. "Shall we?" Trixie lifted her box and moved her fingers to the flap.

"Yes. Open them together in three, two…" They pulled open the tabs and clicked the boxes together as though they were glasses of wine.

When she arrived home that night, she expected to hear Tori and her friends laughing over something she'd consider mundane. When they weren't there, it frightened her at first. Instead, she saw Joshua with a sandy haired girl cuddled up with him on the couch.

The girl looked up and waved. "Trina, how was the movie?"

"It was good."

"Careful," Joshua laughed, "She might not remember who you are." Trina put her hands to her hips and shook her head while smiling at her older brother. This still felt too much like a dream to be real, but Krissy said many times that it was real. Still, she didn't think she could ever forget those in her last time, and to be honest she missed them.

In this timeline everyone seemed far too hard up, except for her mom and brother. The way they talked about David, at least in her time the man made somewhat of an effort. Usually because of her constantly bothering him and making him talk to her. Often she wanted to talk about her mom and brother, and he was willing to sit down with her.

Now she realized that those talks must have softened him and made him that much more receptive to his family. "I remember your girlfriend, Josh." She smirked at him. "Amber, right?"

He laughed and Amber smiled back at her. "See Joshua, she couldn't forget me." Part of her had forgotten, but there was still an air of familiarity that she couldn't place about this girl. That familiarity didn't exist in this new timeline, which was what she found strange.

_"Anytime you want to pop up, Krissy. Now would be good."_ She looked to the right, then behind her, and Krissy did not appear. _"Ugh, fine, appear when I'm not expecting you."_

Amber swept her hand through her dark curls and pushed herself from the couch. "Sorry I couldn't join you and Trixie at the movies."

"That's fine, I know you wanted to be here with Josh." What was it about this girl that gave her reason to pause? She studied her close, trying to connect her to any memory. Amber wasn't as old as Joshua, but she was just a year older than Trina. Still, this was the only thing she could put a finger on. _"Anytime now, Krissy! Come in with your seemingly omnipotent self." _

She exhaled slowly and ran her fingers over her forehead. _"Maybe this is one of those four days she and her husband decide is 'bedroom time'."_

"True." Amber looked at Joshua with a smile. "If it wasn't for him, I'd still be in California."

"California?"

"Yeah. You know, my little cousin's over there." As she processed the words, it struck her. In the other timeline, she'd seen Amber once or twice. The girl even tried to talk to her, but she often shied away thinking she wouldn't like her once they spoke.

Amber was _Robbie's_ cousin.

Her eyes widened tremendously and her body froze. "Oh yeah, I couldn't forget that." The memories of this timeline slowly came to her mind. She and Joshua met Amber when they went to California with their mother five years ago. He formed a relationship with her when her cousin, Robbie's brother, died. She was the girl that was crying by herself in a diner, and Trina convinced Josh to go talk to her.

As a relationship started, she eventually moved to be closer to him. She formed a friendship with Trina and Trixie, forming a third part of a very crazy trio. They did almost everything together, whether it was going to the movies or going to the state fair.

In the other time, however, Amber was taking care of Robbie because his parents wanted nothing to do with him. With that knowledge fresh on her mind, Trina needed to know what was going on with him now.

"H-How is Robbie, by the way?"

Amber furrowed her brow and frowned. "You know. He's still a loner, always carrying that puppet around." The puppet was named after his older brother, Rex. The same cousin that passed away several years ago. In her timeline, his friendship with Tori helped the group keep him around, and eventually he started to wean himself away from that puppet.

"So he's still got that thing? Hasn't he made any friends yet?"

"No. His parents don't even bother trying to talk him into making any." Amber scratched at her neck and shrugged. "If I were there, I'd make sure he got some friends to look out for him. Kind of like Trixie would do for Jade, you know."

Trina laughed and felt her heart sink while her mind drifted back to Tori. This was something the three women had in common in the other timeline, they all helped their younger relative gain friends, in one way or another.

_"Think of those lives that you impact."_ Trixie's words had been branded on her brain, leaving a permanent mark to think about. The girl was right, it wasn't only Trina's life that would change. For better or for worse, she didn't know, but maybe she wasn't supposed to know. As Trixie said, the fantasy could potentially be better than the reality.

* * *

Are those doubts that are arising?


	5. What Will You Lose?

Waters of Time

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

-THE FIFTH-

_"If I go back, my friendship with Trixie and Amber ends. If I go back, mom and Josh…they…"_ She turned away and rushed towards her bedroom. The bile in her stomach spun like a storm, and her lungs felt as though they'd been lit aflame. _"I don't want to go back. I don't want to be in pain anymore. I don't want to be lonely."_

She sat down at her computer and opened her Skype, whining when she didn't see Krissy's name. "You're still looking for her?" Trina shrieked as her version appeared leaning over her shoulder. "You mean you haven't figured it out yet? You don't belong here, this isn't your life. It's mine. Krissy doesn't exist in my life, deal with it." Trina looked over her shoulder as the girl leaned back and scoffed. "We're beginning to collide, by the way, so all the memories and things from that life of yours are beginning to fade. Can't say I'm happy about it, but I suppose it won't matter because we'll become one and the same. _You'll _be the one who ceases to exist, however."

"Me? But…" Trina looked towards the graduation picture and frowned. It made sense. Everything she knew from her life, all that she experienced, she yearned for. It shouldn't exist, however, if she chose to remain here.

"What did Trixie tell you? Everything happens for a reason. In your timeline, and I know it hurt, there's a reason mom and Joshua died. There's a reason you're where you are, and not here, where I am." The girl leaned back against the desk and curled her hands around the edge. "I'm the dream, the fantasy. I'm everything you want, everything you dream about, but not what you need."

Trina frowned and turned her eyes to the Skype chat where Tori was talking. "Been another one of those days," Tori had typed, "Haven't seen Dad at all. I don't think he knows I exist. My grades are starting to slip, and I don't feel well anymore. I feel like I'm drowning, Trina…wish you were here. Love you cousin."

"You think I've got it easy?" The girl put her hand to her chest and chuckled vainly as Trina turned her gaze up to her. "This life or the next, everybody has hurdles. I have my own problems, Trina. Our father, you know the actual man, don't think he talks to me."

"Dad? He calls me once in a while."

"Lucky you." The girl scowled and rolled her eyes. "He's all but existent in my life." The girl pushed herself from the counter and glanced at the computer. "I talk to my cousin every day because I worry about her. She hasn't been making friends, she's constantly by herself at that house. I feel like if I don't talk to her every day, she'll slip away." A heaviness came over Trina and she turned her eyes down to the ground. "Of course that's just my own worries, she's probably doing fine."

"You have a couple great friends though. More than I do."

"And yet both of them could be in California. Trixie could be taking care of her sister, Amber ought to be taking care of her little cousin. How do you think I feel about keeping them away? Think that makes me feel good? I constantly ask them about their relatives, I'm pretty sure it's taxing on them but they never say."

"So you've got it hard too."

"Yeah but I deal with it. Don't you get it?" Trina felt the girl's burning glare as it dug deep inside. Her muscles tensed as the girl walked around her. "You don't dwell on what you can't change. It's hard, yes, but you get over it and move on." She scoffed and rolled her eyes.

"As if it's easy."

"It's not! It never is." She winced as the girl's voice lashed out, stinging her eardrums. "You have to work through the hard shit to get to the good crap. Don't you understand that? Instead of dreaming about what you wish you could have, why don't you work towards achieving that." The girl jumped in spot and put her hands to her chest, scoffing angrily. "Hell, I'm _behind_ where you're at."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"For one, I have to wait until I finish college before I can move to California. Yes, I'm planning on moving there to spend some time with Tori. The issue there is I'll probably not get to be spending much time anymore with Trixie or Amber unless they decide to move down there, which is unlikely in this timeline."

"You say 'in this timeline'."

"That's because this is my timeline." The girl shook her head once more and scowled. "Do you honestly think you mean nothing to the people in your time?" Trina leaned over the desk and frowned.

"Sure feels like it. Doesn't feel like I matter to anybody-like I've made a difference."

"As if you _haven't_ been comparing this line and yours the entire time." Trina winced as the girl slammed her hand down onto her shoulder. The room around her slowly transformed into a hospital room. She saw herself in the hospital bed with Tori standing beside her. David and Holly were in the room, standing close together. All of Tori's friends were present.

"What's this?"

"We are not idiots, Trina. This is you, 'asleep', while you experiment with my timeline. My life becomes your reality, this reality ceases to be. Or it won't cease to be, but, what do you think's going to happen in the end?"

She held her breath and watched with a quivering gaze as Tori reached over her body, hugging her. "I'll say that line will start to become like mine."

"What?" Her hand moved up to her chest and she looked with wide eyes. "I don't…I don't understand. I'm sorry."

The girl beside her folded her hands together and slid them down her face with a heavy sigh. "This version of you will _die_. Your uncle will then have lost not only his nephew and his sister, but his sister's child. He'll avoid the issue, throw himself in his work. Holly might start up that affair of hers again when this happens, and Tori will likely go into a depression. She's easily susceptible to depression."

"She's got her friends."

"Yeah, for now." The girl rolled her eyes and growled impatiently. "I know you're not supposed to die in that timeline, Trina. You're supposed to live. There was a reason you survived, there's a reason that Uncle David took you in when mom died. Maybe that reason was to avoid becoming _my_ line? Because believe you me, I'd love to be in your shoes."

"Bullshit."

The girl's face dropped and her eyes narrowed. "Do I look like I would be bullshitting you at this point?" She pointed off to the distance and her voice rose. "I love mom, I love my brother, and I wouldn't trade my life for anything, but that doesn't mean I want to spend every day trying to lift my cousin's spirits when she feels lonely. That doesn't mean I want to feel like I'm keeping my best friend from going to be with her sister! In your time line, Tori's not lonely. In your time, Trixie and Amber _both_ are taking care of their relatives. Why don't you learn to do what I do, live with what you can't change, work with what you have, and strive for a better future. How about that? How about doing things the way they're supposed to be, and give me back my life?"

"But you just said my decision doesn't affect you. Basically."

The girl moaned and kicked the wall next to her. She rubbed her forehead, then turned around after a few seconds. "Okay. So obviously showing you that people care about you and comparing shit won't help. Let's start with something else. What's missing right now? Who isn't here when I am?"

"Krissy?"

"Yep." A sudden pain struck her and she looked to her feet, mourning over the realization that she would lose such a great friend. "It may not matter to you in a few minutes, but look at all you'd give up for _my_ life."

"I can forget about my writing too."

"Yeah, I've been meaning to talk to you about that. I don't write, I don't think about it. I have no reason to. You do, and you've made great friends through it. Granted, most of them are online, but there's nothing wrong with that."

"That site is the best thing that's happened to me at this point."

"It is. You've had a lot of good times thanks to it. You've met your best friend and mentor there as well. Also, Uncle David is actually softening up isn't he?"

"He wants to take me down to the gun range and teach me to fire a gun." Trina laughed lightly and watched as the girl put her hands down to her hips. "I guess when you think about how he is in your time…then he's definitely getting better at paying attention."

"Right, not as reclusive. Aunt Holly's still around too."

"She's given up on that affair of hers. She and Uncle David have started to go for marriage counseling as well."

"And obviously most importantly you don't have to worry about Tori crying over being lonely-each and every last day." Trina's eyes widened as she studied her cousin. "You say that's you, but you've made clear bounds in changing that, you just haven't noticed because you're constantly dwelling on how bad things are. You ignore the good stuff that happens in your life."

"I guess."

"And good things will keep happening. They do for everyone, life is about ups and downs, it's about taking the good with the bad, and growing. All the good things that happened in your life, would you _seriously_ trade them for what I have?" She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

The girl crossed her arms and looked to the hospital bed. "If you didn't know that we were going to merge, if you could still remember everything about your real life even if you chose to keep this one, how would you feel?" Trina opened her eyes halfway and frowned.

"I don't know. I'd probably think about how hard Uncle David's become, about how happy Tori is-or was. Even now I find myself constantly wondering about how Jade or Robbie are doing, in your time."

"Shitty. I'll say that much." Trina looked over and gasped out as the girl motioned to Beck and Jade. "They break up far more frequently because of her mental anxieties. With no one to soften her or help keep her calm, she's got nothing. As for Robbie, he's got no one to help keep his mind off Rex. You think it's bad in your time? He's worse in mine, at least in yours, Amber's there to help keep his mind on other things."

"I thought everything would be better in this time. Better…without me."

"Funny how much you impact someone's life even without directly impacting a thing. Isn't it?" Trina chuckled sadly and brushed her nose with her finger.

"Sure."

"You've got a decision to make. My life or yours-everything good you have in your life would you trade it for mine? If you keep working at things, Uncle David may finally pay more attention to you and Tori. If you keep working at things, you might make some friends in your own life…who knows what's in your future! We're not meant to know the future, and we're not meant to change the past. You just get this one chance. Would you trade your writing site and Krissy for all this?"

"We're not so different, are we? I mean both of us are athletic, both of us look the same-"

"Those are all external. Of course we lead similar life, and newsflash, we _could_ make the same friends." It would be nice to meet Trixie or Amber, to be friends with them, though she wasn't sure the possibility of such an event. "Internally we're much different, but we could be similar I suppose. If you actually stopped dwelling on something you can't-shouldn't change, and started focusing on the present and what you want out of life. Focus on making yourself happy."

"I-"

"In the end it's your choice." The girl pressed her lips together and sat down in an empty chair. Her legs crossed and her finger tapped her temple. "In the end it's no skin off my teeth. You're the one who dies. Not me. I'm just trying to save your ass, but now why would I do that?"

"Because you're me, and we actually have compassion for other people?"

"Ah, there's something." The girl lowered her hand and clapped twice. "Good job. Should I leave you to think? Do you want to stay with mom and Joshua?" The girl snapped her fingers and gasped. "Ah but wait, it won't matter. Want to know why? Because when we merge, you won't even know you existed. Or, should I say, I won't know."

Trina's heart stopped and she cringed while thinking about the girl's words. "What good is changing time, when you don't even know you did it? All of your memories, all of your experiences, everything-kiss it goodbye. All you're going to do is let the girl in the hospital bed die. Don't feel bad about it, though, because we won't even know it. This whole thing will be like a dream…to me."

"So I'm going to become you. That's what you're saying."

"That's what I've been saying! That's what Krissy was trying to tell you. There's not room for two identical versions of us in the same universe. You don't belong. Mom and Josh are dead in your time, you cannot change it." Trina felt a wave of pain wash over her as the girl's voice rose to dangerous levels. "Even that little experiment with you changing the time-doesn't happen. You can't do it. That's not how it works, that's not how the world works."

"I thought I created this new timeline when…"

"Nope." The girl stood up and walked over, patting Trina's shoulder. "The truth? When I, we, were twelve-in your timeline you went to bed and went to sleep. In mine? I stayed up all night long, I didn't go out to give mom a hug because she didn't honk the horn until I did. I stayed up to watch and see what Joshua was looking for."

"What was he doing?"

"There were a group of kids outside the house that night, just making noise and throwing shit at the house. Joshua was trying to get them to leave." The girl crossed her arms and closed her eyes. "I went outside after he went to bed, and they threw rocks at me." Trina rubbed her arm and her forehead creased as she tried to visualize the incident.

"The next morning, Josh didn't see me on the lawn when he left. Our neighbor saw me, she called mom, and mom came home with Josh. She made it all better"

"But when I went back-"

"You were dreaming then. You saw your version. The minute you picked up that phone, if you had looked outside, you would have seen _me."_ The air grew silent and she lifted a trembling hand above her mouth. "Unconscious on the ground." The girl removed her hat and pulled her bangs back to reveal a pink scar on the corner of her head. "You see that?"

Trina's stomach twisted and her breath caught in her throat as she cringed in pain. "Oh god. That's from the rocks?"

"Yeah. So I had a different trauma than you. For the longest time I stayed away from other kids." The girl returned the hat to her head and pat her hands together while circling Trina. "Trixie was my first friend. We bonded over a common interest and I started to trust her. My friendship with her helped me to willingly talk to other people, which led me to talk to Amber when I saw her crying that day she got the news about Rex."

"You don't dwell on what happened?"

"Oh don't get me wrong, Vega. I think about it every fucking day." The girl removed the hair tie from her ponytail and fluffed her hair over her shoulder. "To this day I still wish I stayed inside the goddamn house. Just like you, I think about what happened back then, but I know I can't change it. That said, there's no point in dwelling on it. I've had to make myself move on, stop wasting my tears on something I cannot change, and spend my time living in the present from day to day."

"I…understand."

"Yeah, then understand you're just trading one trauma for another." She didn't want to give up on the good things that she had, that much she already knew. "You can be strong like me, but in a different way, do you understand? You don't have to change the past to be happy, you can make that for yourself."

"I'll try."

"You'll be fine. Trust me." The girl pat Trina on the shoulder and looked to her with a reassuring smile. "If I can make, I should think that you could too. I mean, we are one in the same, right? Just with different paths in life. You were not meant to have my life, Trina, and I'm not meant to have yours."

"I really wouldn't trade all the good things that have happened to me. Now that I think about it…"

"No?"

"I think." The skin around her eyes tensed and she pulled her lips back into a line. "I think I want my own life back. I miss mom and Josh, and seeing them again was…it was like a dream, but it isn't my life." The girl's smile increased and her shoulders rose.

"Sounds like you've made your decision. Good luck, Trina."

* * *

What is real?


	6. The Right Choice to the Future

Waters of Time

Disclaimer: Don't own Victorious

A/N:

* * *

-EL FIN-

Trina opened her eyes and her body jerked up with a strong breath of air. She could feel her lungs burning from pain and her body was numb. Her eyes darted around and her fingers curled around a blanket. "What?"

"Oh god, Trina!" Tori hugged her, taking her by surprise. She looked down to see the girl weeping on her chest and holding her tight. "I was so afraid we were going to lose you."

"You were?"

Tori looked up and wiped her eyes. "Well, I mean…" Her cheeks turned red and she looked off to the side. "Just because I don't spend a lot of time with you doesn't mean I don't care about you. When you went under that water, and the guys dove in after you, I-I felt like dying right there."

"Well I'm fine." Trina smiled at her and looked around for the others, but they weren't around. "Where is everyone? I thought they were here."

Tori's nose crinkled and she shook her head. "Yesterday. Everyone's at home right now. I couldn't leave." Tori looked down and moved her hands into her lap. "You're the only cousin I have left, you know. If something were to happen to you, I don't know what I'd do. Dad's already been focusing on his paperwork, and mom's been sitting around the house looking like she doesn't know what to do with herself."

"How the hell are they all worried about me?"

Tori laughed for a minute, then frowned in an instant. "What? You seriously think no one cares about you? I know they act like it, but…Dad would never have taken you in when Aunt Sherry died if he didn't care."

"I always figured it was out of obligation."

"Of course not. He argued with Uncle Dennis over taking custody of you, Trina! That's how much he cared." The words were like lighting to her, striking her into silence. She pushed herself up, using her elbows for leverage, and stared back at Tori in amazement.

Her father had become lost in recent years. Sure he called her once in a while, but it was only for about five minutes. The man was more concerned with his second wife than he was his actual daughter.

"Beck, Andre and Robbie pulled you out of that ocean, Trina." Tori furrowed her brow and hooked her thumbs together. "The lifeguard wasn't able to see you, I don't know why. He finally noticed when Beck and Andre popped up out of that damn water." Tori wiped her eyelids and drew out a heavy breath. "All the people on that beach, not a single person was going to jump into the water, but those three did. Why would they do that for you when no one else would?"

"I don't know."

"You probably think my friends would let you drown out there, but they do care. Even if they say they don't like you, and they don't want to spend time with you, you're my cousin and they know that."

The silence in the room was broken by a knock at the door. When Trina looked over, two familiar women entered. Her jaw dropped and her heart began to speed up as Tori looked up to Trixie and Amber.

"Jade was concerned," Trixie said, "You've been here all night." The girl looked to Trina and gave her a smile. "Hey you're awake, it's good to see."

Amber nodded and poked her thumb over her shoulder. "I brought Robbie along, Tori. Why don't you take a break and hang with him a bit." Tori hugged Trina and took a deep breath.

"See you in a few, Trina. I'll let the nurses know you're up." Trina waved as the girl left. Amber walked to the foot of the bed and Trixie sat in the chair Tori had been in.

"Damn you had everyone worried," Trixie said, "Glad you made it. I don't think I've ever seen someone go into a coma from nearly drowning, but then anything's possible."

"I guess." Trina was nervous in their presence, but she was amazed to see them. The memory of what she'd gone through felt like a dream now, but she couldn't help to wonder. "Trixie, right? Jade's sister."

"Yeah."

"You like milk duds and mountain bikes?"

Trixie raised an eyebrow and laughed. "Of course I do, how did you know? Amber and I are always out riding."

"It was a lucky guess." Her lips curled into a bright smile and her eyes lit up with excitement. She couldn't pass up an opportunity to befriend these two. "You guys checking out that new movie with Bruce Willis that's coming out this weekend?" The women grinned back at her.

"Can't resist that man," Amber laughed, "You interested in seeing it too? You're more than welcome to come along, if you like."

"I…think that would be great." She couldn't wait to get home and tell Krissy all about this experience, even though it would be too unbelievable for even her. It was too real to be a dream, and certainly she couldn't get out of her head the words her other version had to say.

From this point on, however, she was going to stop dwelling on the past. Her mother and her brother were great people, and she would always love and miss them, but she'd always think fondly of them and cherish the memories she had of them in life.

Old memories were great to look onto, but that only meant new memories would be just as great of a thing to have. The past was meant to learn from, to use as memory and growth, whether good or bad. To dwell on what could not be changed hindered the ability to move forward. This, she would take to her heart.

"Hey Amber?" She took a deep breath as the girl looked back at her. "What do you and Trixie do in your spare time?"

"Well, Trixie spends her time with her sister and I sometimes go out with my boyfriend." Trina raised an eyebrow and Amber smirked. "Hey, speaking of my boyfriend…you should meet his friend, Jason. Robbie says you're into martial arts, so is Jason, maybe you'll get along."

Another opportunity to get to know someone new. Once more, this was too great of an opportunity to miss. "Yeah. I think I'd like that. Maybe bring him along for the movie?"

"Oh I will. I think Scott would like to see the movie, and he's always dragging Jason along. So once you're up on your feet, we'll all get together." Amber looked to Trixie and shrugged. "Sound good, Trixie?"

Trixie smiled back and nodded. "Sounds great to me. Scott and Jason are always fun to hang out with." The girl looked to Trina and made eye contact with her. In that moment, Trina felt some sort of camaraderie, as though she'd already know this girl. "It'll be nice."

"I'll look forward to it." She looked to the doorway and saw Tori watching her with a smile. Her heart lifted joyously and her body relaxed as she thought to herself, this life she wouldn't trade for anything. She didn't have to change the past to be happy, she only needed to create that happiness for herself, and this was a start.

"Hey, maybe we'll all go swimming sometime." Trixie smirked teasingly and Trina shivered at the thought while Amber rolled her eyes and dropped her head. "I'm only kidding."

"Good." Trina laughed nervously and closed her eyes. "I think it's going to be a long time before I go swimming again. You guys would not believe what I went through out there."

* * *

It is over


End file.
